This week we posted some new videos on www.windows.com and www.windowslive.com. We call them demos but really they’re little stories about people using Windows to do more, connect with loved ones and share memories. I’m excited about the videos for a couple of reasons (besides the fact that it’s always fun to have something you had a hand in producing actually Out There – in front of real people who will have real opinions about them) – naturally I’m excited about the chance to paint a picture of Windows Vista and Windows Live working together and to showcase new features and capabilities in the product, but what I’m most excited about is the opportunity to put Windows in the context of people’s lives – which is an approach we haven’t traditionally taken with product demos on the Windows website.
I went out on a limb a bit with these videos because of this – our initial storyboards revolved around the product, just showing the UI and talking about the benefits, but I felt very passionately about the fact that we have to talk to people about stuff that’s important to them. To my knowledge, most normal people on the street don’t buy technology because it’s cool or new – they buy technology because it helps them do things they couldn’t otherwise do, or do things more easily. I strongly believe in leading with people’s lives and having the product naturally integrate. Luckily I work in a group who are serious about getting better at talking to customers and helping customers to discover the capabilities of their Windows PCs so, after arguing my case, I was given the chance to try this new approach.
· People want time to spend with people who are important to them, and Windows can help them do that by enhancing their productivity.
· People have good times together and want to relive those memories or share them with others, and Windows gives them choices about how they can best do that.
· People want to stay close to people who aren’t necessarily nearby, and Windows makes that possible.
It makes me think about those Mastercard ads – "PC with Windows Vista, webcam and internet connection: from $600; Windows Live Messenger: free download; making distant relatives not so distant: priceless…"
Putting Windows in context of people’s lives is my passion – I love Windows Vista and Windows Live together: I love that my niece and nephew are safer on the PC and online with our products; I love that I can have a video call with my Mom in deepest Africa; I love that I can share my life with my friends in Australia on my Windows Live Space, and that I can upload pictures to Facebook directly from my site… And if I can use stories to help other people see how naturally these products fit into and enhance their lives – their digital lives – I believe that they’ll start realizing the potential sitting right there in the PC in front of them.
Do you have opinions about the new videos? Is this a valid way to talk to people – not necessarily technical, geeky super users, but everyday people on the street? I’d love your feedback so we can keep evolving how we talk to customers!